Yak’s Garden Party: A Lesson in Self-Acceptance

Promotes: Self-Acceptance, Flexible Thinking, Coping with Change ＂Being a good host means listening, too. It’s great to ask others what they want to do.＂ In ＂Yak’s Garden Party,＂ Yak’s party plans quickly go awry. Wanting everything to go perfectly for her friends, our caring host struggles to cope when her guests don’t follow her exact agenda. It’s very common for children (and adults!) to have an idea of how they want plans to go, especially on big events or holidays. When our perfect vision doesn’t become a reality, it can be extra challenging for children to stay flexible and problem-solve. Our therapists and educators wrote this loving book for families to read together. Children can walk away with important social skills and parents can remember to have empathy when their little ones are feeling disappointed. With Reflect & Connect questions at the end, caregivers are supported in deepening their child’s understanding of this important emotional skill.

Authors Kelly Oriard, a family therapist, and Callie Christensen, a special education teacher, are the founders of Slumberkins, an emotional learning brand on a mission to empower children to be caring, confident, and resilient through stories, affirmations, tools, and activities.